HEART AND SOUL

Nelson, Kadir.  Heart and Soul:  The Story of America and African Americans.  New York:  Balzer + Bray/An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2011.  ISBN 978-0-06-173076-4.

 

 

Plot Summary

 

The history of America from the 1500s to the present day is told through the eyes of an African American "Everywoman."  Using information gathered from various members of his own family, Nelson takes the reader on a tragic, but inspiring, journey through the struggles and achievements of America and African Americans.

 

 

Critical Analysis

 

"Have you ever used an ironing board?  Sat in a folding chair?  Used a dustpan?  Ridden in a convertible or on a horse saddle?  Read an almanac?  Used a fountain pen that did not require dipping it into an inkwell?  Sat at a traffic light?  Seen a gas mask?  Used a golf tee? ... Most people don't know that all of these things were invented by or improved by black folks."  Nelson brings interesting facts and historical figures and events in vivid color through the pages of Heart and Soul:  The Story of America and African Americans.

 

Nelson brings American history to life through the eyes of his grandmother, who remains unnamed throughout the story.  You can hear his thought process for this book at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0VzAL3WnGY.  He talks about the time he spent in researching photographs so that his paintings would be authentic for the time period.  In the author's note, Nelson describes how he interviewed the oldest members of his family and brought their recollections together as if the narrator is telling about her family.  In addition to his interviews, the bibliography cites 28 resources as further research.  Nelson includes a timeline which spans historical events from 1565 to 2009.  Nelson spent countless hours to ensure the authenticity of Heart and Soul:  The Story of America and African Americans.

 

Nelson is known for his quality illustrations.  His first illustration is of his grandmother at age 10 or 11 in her white Easter dress.  The story is narrated in its entirety by her in a very colloquial and charming style with several "chiles" and "honeys" thrown in.  Her hair is pulled tight and tied with a large white bow in the back.  Nelson's second illustration is his rendition of The Baptism of Pocahontas by John Gadsby.  An elderly black  man with plaited hair is looking at the painting wondering why Indians and white men are shown in a painting depicting America's history; however, there is not one black person anywhere in the scene.  Other illustrations show men in the dress of the Colonial War period.  Enslaved persons on a ship appear to be clad in nothing but a chain around their necks.  The men have shaved heads and the women are wearing their hair in a short afro.  There are far too many illustrations to describe each one individually. 

 

Skin tones throughout the book range from very dark to very light.  Most of the illustrations are labeled to explain the time period or event depicted.  Very few of the illustrations are of famous people in history:  the majority of the portraits are common folks experiencing the events of that time period.  However, the recognizable historical figures include:  George Washington, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Booker T. Washington, Joe Louis Barrow, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson, and Rosa Parks.  For the most part, the dress for the black men and women is business casual to semi-formal.  Men are in dress shirts with dress pants or suits and the women are in dresses.  Those in the armed forces are shown in the uniforms appropriate for the time period.  Although the illustrations don't depict it, the text stated that, in the modern era, the younger generation started wearing their hair longer and their clothes became louder and more colorful.  The background for the illustrations are varied, from the middle of a corn field to inside Southern Woolworth's Café.  Regardless of the person or the setting, the look in the eyes of these men, women, boys, and girls is one of determination to make a better life for their people and hope for a brighter future for America.

 

Nelson included an index if the reader wished to easily find a particular person or event.  Each chapter could be read separately if the reader so chose.  Words such as "abolitionist," "suh," "underground railroad," "Negro," "Freedmen," "Buffalo Soldiers," "Tuskegee Airmen," "Klansmen," "Civil War," "Reconstruction," and "Jim Crow laws" point to the culture and time period of Heart and Soul:  The Story of America and African Americans.  Music for the African American culture included big bands, jazz, electric guitars, and loud drums with singers such as James Brown and Sam Cooke.  Spirituals were sung in the early history of African Americans for the purpose of lifting  each other's spirits and to pass secret messages to each other through song.

 

Nelson has packed Heart and Soul:  The Story of America and African Americans with over 400 years of historical data.  Yet, at no time does the reader feel overwhelmed with all of this information.  The use of the narrator makes the readers feel as if they are on a private tour through the hallowed and harrowing halls of history.  Nelson doesn't spare the details of the lynchings, burnings, and beatings endured by the African American people and even some white people who tried to help them.  The reader is compelled with the overwhelming desire to help the black man escape the immoralities of the Jim Crow laws.  Readers also wanted to cheer when, in the first round of the boxing match, Louis Barrow KO'd the "supreme" German fighter who Hitler knew would show the world that African Americans were an inferior race. 

 

Many people fought to make America a better place.  According to Nelson, one of the most powerful and influential men of the civil rights movement was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  His weapons of choice were peaceful protests and words of inspiration.  Although an assassin's bullet stopped him from seeing the world of which he dreamed, his legacy still lives on today.  Readers can be inspired by these brave men and women who overcame enormous obstacles and achieved greatness.  Regardless of the color of one's skin, the lack of wealth, or oppression one faces, anything is possible for those who dare to dream.

  

Awards and Honors

 

Children's Literature Council of Southern California Book Award, 2012 Winner
     Inspiring Work of Nonfiction United States
Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2012 Honor Book Illustrator United States
Coretta Scott King Book Award, 2012 Winner Author United States
Jane Addams Children's Book Award, 2012 Honor Book Older Children United
     States
Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, 2012 Recommended
     Book United States
School Library Journal's Battle of the Kids' Books, 2012 Nominee United States
Society of Illustrators Original Art Award, 2011 Silver Medal United States


Review Excerpts

"This intimate narrative makes the stories accessible to young readers and powerfully conveys how personal this history feels for many African-Americans." — Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2011

"With such a broad time frame, there is a lot to fit into 108 pages, but Nelson effectively captures the roles of ordinary people in landmark events ("We called ourselves the Freedom Riders") while presenting famous leaders who changed the world, from Frederick Douglass and Rosa Parks to Langston Hughes, Louis Armstrong, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and, finally, President Barack Obama." — Booklist, August 2011

"Provocative and powerful, this book offers a much-needed perspective for individuals of all ages seeking to understand America's past and present.'" — School Library Journal, September 2011


Other Books Written and Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Nelson Mandela
We are the Ship:  The Story of Negro League Baseball
Moses:  When Harriet Tubman Lead Her People to Freedom

 

Visit his website for more information:  http://kadirnelson.com/

 

 

Book Connections

 

The Rise & Fall Of Jim Crow:  The African-American Struggle Against
     Discrimination, 1865-1954 by Richard Wormser

A Dream of Freedom:  The Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968  by Diane
     McWhorter

Freedom's Children:  Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories by Ellen
     Levine

 

 

Connection Activities

 

• Listen to Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream [Sound Recording]:  Original Address from the March on Washington, August 1963.  New York:  20th Century Fox Records, [1968-9].   Have the students draw a picture of their dream world.
• Separate the class into groups to discuss the various Jim Crow laws and answer the following questions.  What would it have been like to live under the Jim Crow laws?   Why were these laws created?  What is you opinion of the laws?  Have each group present their ideas to the class.  For information on the Jim Crow laws visit http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm.

HAND IN HAND: TEN BLACK MEN WHO CHANGED AMERICA

Pinkney, Andrea Davis.  Ill. by Brian Pinkney.  Hand in Hand:  Ten Black Men Who Changed America.  New York:  Disney/Jump at the Sun Books, 2012.  ISBN 978-1-4231-4257-7.

 

 

Plot Summary

 

The lives of ten African American men, who fought for social reform and racial equality, are described and arranged chronologically.  Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, A. Philip Randolph, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack H. Obama II all greatly impacted the lives of African Americans and influenced the history of the entire United States of America.

 

 

Critical Analysis

 

Hand in Hand:  Ten Black Men Who Changed America is a lesson in the oftentimes untold history of America.  Pinkney cites source after source, 39 in all, as references for her biographical information.  She also includes a timeline in the back of the book which starts with the birth of Benjamin Banneker in 1731 and ends with Barack Hussein Obama becoming the forty-fourth, and first black, president of the United States in 2009.  Pinkney's meticulous research takes the reader on a historical journey of ten black men who were determined to make the United States of America a better place to live for every man and woman, regardless of color.

Pinkney unabashedly casts the spotlight on the dark side of American history; the side which many historians choose to ignore in hopes that somehow people will forget this disgraceful race-segregated wound which festered for years.   Words and phrases such as "abolitionists," "slaves," "Anti-Slavery Society," "Negro," "conking," "milksops," "Ku Klux Klan," "Black Muslims," "croaker sacks," and "Jim Crow" are scattered throughout Hand in Hand:  Ten Black Men Who Changed America.

African-American culture is incomplete without religion and their ever-present spirituals.  The church kept this people united and gave them hope that better things were in store.  Some of these men learned to read from the Bible.  In fact, not only did Benjamin Banneker learn to read from the Bible, he learned to count from the Bible as well.  He did this by reciting all 150 Psalms!  Some were the sons of ministers.  Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. both became renowned spiritual leaders as well.  Martin Luther King, Jr. is remembered for using these passages:

"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."  Matthew 22:39

"A soft answer turneth away wrath:  but grievous words stir up anger."  Proverbs 15:1

"Walk in love...Walk as children of light."  Ephesians 5:2, 8

Hand in Hand:  Ten Black Men Who Changed America is organized into ten sections which give the biographies, in chronological order, of the following black men:  Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, A. Philip Randolph, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack H. Obama II.  Each section begins with a poem about the person and his accomplishments.  Each section could be read individually and in whatever order the reader may choose.

Hand in Hand:  Ten Black Men Who Changed America is illustrated by Pinkney's husband, Brian.  Brian Pinkney uses a lot of pinkish-reds, greens, oranges, and yellows in his illustrations.  The skin tones of his subjects are unrecognizable for the most part; however, the facial features do have a dark hue and the subject's hair is always depicted as black, which is sometimes laced with white hair as well.   The text gives clues to individual skin tones by describing them as "buff," "midnight," "that moon," "dark and as beautiful as that sky," "dark coffee," "butterscotch-colored," "black," "brown," "peanut-butter hue," "creamy-skinned," "nut-colored," and "complexion as black as the skin on a raisin."

Time and time again, these men had something to prove to white men to show that black men were their equals.  One way they set out to accomplish this was by their immaculate dress.  In Brian Pinkney's illustrations, one of the men, Frederick Douglass, is in a long coat, with dress pants, and a dress shirt.  Another illustration shows DuBois' European flair of a top hat, white gloves, white spats, and a walking cane.  Other illustrations show the men in suits and ties.  Of course, Thurgood Marshall looks particularly dignified in his black Supreme Court Justice robe.

Based on the plethora of historical facts and dates, Pinkney no doubt spent countless hours researching  Hand in Hand:  Ten Black Men Who Changed America.  However, readers may become bogged down in the sheer number of facts that line each and every page.  The only exception to this would be the section on Barack H. Obama II.  Pinkney crafted Mr. Obama's life story more from the standpoint of a personal friend rather than a history teacher recounting the person's life.

Regardless of ethnic and racial backgrounds, all readers can benefit from this walk down the shadowy past of American history.  It is always important to recognize past mistakes and learn from them so that our future will not lead us down the same racially-ensnared path.  Readers can be encouraged by the tenaciousness of these ten black men who, against all odds, rose to prominence and overcame the bonds of racial prejudice. 

 

Awards and Honors

 

Coretta Scott King Award, 2013
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, Honor
     Book, 2013
Kirkus Best Children's Books, 2012
New York Times Notable Children's Books, 2012
Kirkus Book Review Stars, 2012
Publisher's Weekly Book Review Stars, 2012


Review Excerpts

"Inspired by young African American teens participating at a literacy institute, Andrea Davis Pinkney selected ten black men who have made significant contributions to American history, from Colonial America to the present day. In her depictions of these men, she explores the background behind their accomplishments in detail." — Library Media Connection, March/April 2013

"The Pinkneys create a testament to African American males that, taken together, tells one big story of triumph (a story that, incidentally, spans American history)." — Horn Book Magazine, January/February 2013

"Addressing the appetites of readers 'hungry for role models,' this presents compellingly oratorical pictures of the lives and characters of 10 African-American men who exemplify a 'birthright of excellence.'" — Booklist Review


Other Books Written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Let it Shine:  Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters
Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride
Duke Ellington:  The Piano Prince and His Orchestra

 

Visit his website for more information:  http://brianpinkney.net/

 

 

Book Connections

 

Heart and Soul:  The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson

Oh Freedom!:  Kids Talk about the Civil Rights Movement with the People who
     Made it Happen  by Casey King and Linda Barrett Osborne

We've Got a Job:  The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson

 

 

Connection Activities

 

• Listen to the Afro-American Blues And Game Songs Record Afro-American Spirituals, Work Songs, And Ballads. ISBN 1100991434132. 
• Play the interactive game which tests your knowledge of the civil rights movement throughout history.  The game is located at   http://www.ballard-tighe.com/eaweb/interactiveonline/activities/ea7_1.swf.

MIRACLE'S BOYS

Woodson, Jacqueline.  Miracle's Boys.  New York:  G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2000.  ISBN 0-399-23113-7.

 

 

Plot Summary

 

Three brothers are learning to survive after losing both their father and mother.  Surrounded by a world of gangs and violence, the boys have many tough decisions in their young lives.

 

 

Critical Analysis

 

The three main characters in Miracle's Boys are three brothers:  twelve year old Lafayette, fifteen year old Charlie, and twenty-one year old Ty'ree.  The story revolves around their relationship with each other as they cope with growing up as orphans.  The story is told from Lafayette's point-of-view, who still struggles to come to terms with feelings of guilt for his mother's death two years prior from insulin shock.  Charlie, who spent more than two years in a juvenile detention center for robbing a candy store, is dealing with anger and despair.  Ty'ree gave up a scholarship to MIT to go to work full-time so he could support his brothers. 

Cultural markers are scattered throughout the story.  Milagro, which is Spanish for "miracle," was the boys' mother.  She was from Bayamón, Puerto Rico.  Although all the dialogue is in English, Lafayette mentions that the boys sometimes speak Spanish to help remember their mother.  Charlie takes his curly hair and light brown skin from her.  Lafayette describes himself as much darker with kinky hair, like his father who was African American.  Lafayette never knew his father because he died before he was born.  He died after saving a white lady and her dog from drowning in a frozen lake.  Charlie felt that his father's death was meaningless because he died saving a dog and a white person.  In his opinion, Brothers, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and Chinese were all that mattered.  White boys were "not even worth mentioning." 

The culturally-colored dialogue included phrases such as:  "W's up," "Yo," "gangbangers," and "brother to brother."  "Brother to brother" was Ty'ree's way of telling Lafayette "I love you."  Lafayette mentioned that Ty'ree had worn his hair in locks, but he cut them off when he went to work full time.  Charlie had aspirations of becoming a rapper like his idols to whom he listened.  Charlie's outfit was described as a plaid shirt and baggy jeans.  He is beaten up badly in a gang initiation.  Later, his friend Aaron, is seen wearing a red-and-blue scarf tied around his head which signified gang colors. 

 

Miracle's Boys takes place in present-day Manhattan.  They live in a poor neighborhood which is infested with gangs and violence.  Woodson divides her story between narration by Lafayette and dialogue between the three brothers.  The tone of the book is ridden with a sense of impending doom.  Ty'ree is doing his best to keep his brothers together but Charlie seems to be fighting just as hard to tear them apart.  The struggle of the brothers throughout the story brings on a life of its own.  The characters, and the story itself, never waver from their authenticity. 

All of the boys must cope with insecurities and doubts.  Ty'ree and Lafayette carry the heavy burden of seeing a parent die.  Charlie feels helpless because he feels he was not good enough to be with either parent when they were reaching their fateful end.  Readers of all backgrounds can relate to the feelings of loss, and perhaps guilt over what was or wasn't said or done.  Ultimately, Miracle's Boys is a story of hope.  Although tragedy strikes the lives of many, one can overcome.  All the boys' wounds, caused by the pain of loss, the anger of helplessness, and despair of hopelessness, are healed when they learn to rely on each other and live life "brother to brother."

 

Awards and Honors

 

Coretta Scott King Award
Los Angeles Times Book Prize
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Sequoyah Book Award Master List, Young Adult Category
Sunshine State Master List (grades 6-8), 2003-2004
Georgia Children’s Book Award nominee, 2003-2004

Woodson has been awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement


Review Excerpts

"Hope is a good thing, and Woodson hands it to her readers like a gift at the conclusion of this emotionally cathartic, gracefully constructed family story." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May 2000

"Woodson's characterizations and dialogue are right on. The dynamics among the brothers are beautifully rendered." — Edward Sullivan, New York Public Library

"Lafayette, 12, tells his family story in a voice that's funny, smart, and troubled. It's a story of poverty and grief, of family secrets and brotherly love." — Booklist Review


Other Books by Jacqueline Woodson

After Tupac & D Foster
Coming on Home Soon
Feathers

 

Visit her website for more information:  http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/

 

 

Book Connections

 

Darius & Twig by Walter Dean Myers

Here in Harlem:  Poems in Many Voices by Walter Dean Myers

Bang! by Sharon G. Flake

 

 

Connection Activities

 

• Draw a picture of someone you have lost.  Share your picture with the class and describe what this person meant to you. 
• Write a poem or short story explaining what you would do if both your parents died.  How would you feel?  How would you survive?  Who would take care of you?

WAR BROTHERS: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

McKay, Sharon E.  Illustrated by Daniel Lafrance.  War Brothers:  The Graphic Novel.  Toronto:  Annick Press, 2013.  ISBN 978-1-55451-489-2.


Plot Summary

In Uganda, many children are kidnapped and forced to join the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).  Based on actual events, War Brothers:  The Graphic Novel follows a group of friends who are kidnapped by the LRA.  Their only hope of survival is for them to remain true to their promise to stick together like brothers, no matter what happens.


Critical Analysis

Many cultural markers are given to the reader prior to the beginning of the story.  A map of East Africa is shown, as well as, another map of Uganda.  The story takes place in Uganda, near the city of Gulu.  What appears to be a handwritten letter, dated 2002, gives the story's background to the reader.  The letter is written by the main character, Jacob, who is from the Acholi tribe in Gulu.  He gives the background of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and its leader, Kony, so the reader will be able to follow the storyline.   According to the LRA, the soldiers are on a mission to fight against the government and create a country of Christians.  Jacob knows that the LRA are not Christians because they do not care about the children they kidnap.  He knows because he was one of them. 

Although this is a work of fiction, it is based on interviews that the author conducted in Gulu, Uganda.  In a postscript, McKay mentions that "everything in this book has happened, and is happening still."  The back cover authenticates the story by telling the reader that McKay "spent time with child soldiers and based this story on real-life accounts."  The LRA is an organization that is still in operation today.  According to a CNN report, dated October 18, 2011, President Obama sent military troops to Africa to help search for the LRA leader, Joseph Kony. (http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/14/world/africa/africa-obama-troops/index.html?_s=PM:AFRICA)

The illustrations by Lafrance picture life in the city and jungles, complete with wildlife, surrounding Gulu, Uganda.  The dress is what one would expect for those living in modern-day Africa.  The illustrations are quite colorful at the beginning and at the end of the book.  When the children are kidnapped by the LRA, the colors become muted as if even the color has drained from the pictures just as hope is seeping from the lives of these young people.

McKay does not spare the readers from the atrocities of the LRA.  Not only do they kill innocent people but they also force their new recruits to do the same.  If a child does not kill someone every day, he will not eat that day.  Tony, who had plans to be a priest, was told to kill his classmate or the LRA would cut off Tony's arm.  Tony beat his friend to death with a stick.  Hannah tried to escape her captors, and when she was caught, the LRA cut off both of her ears.  To realize that events just like this are still happening today is a very sobering and heart-wrenching thought.

Although the story takes place in Africa, the young people have the same ambitions and goals as those in other parts of the world.  In Jacob's opening letter, he ends it by saying this is also a story of hope, courage, friendship, and family.  He emphasizes family because family is important in Uganda.  That is the universal truth of this story.  Although young people today face tragedies, they can still have hope and courage that things will get better and that they will prevail.  Regardless of who or what comes against them, they can rely on their friends and especially their family to support them.

In each of us there is a possibility to be a beast,

but also the possibility to reach the stars. 

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Awards and Honors

YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2014

YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens List, Top Ten, 2014
Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens, starred selection,
     2013
Texas Library Association Maverick Graphic Novel List, 2014
USBBY Outstanding International Book, 2014
YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, 2014
Independent Publisher Book Award, Gold, 2014
Cybils Award finalist
ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award finalist
Eisner Award, Best Graphic Novel nomination, 2014


Review Excerpts

"A truly important work that is well worth the read." — School Library Journal, March 2013

"... one of the most powerful graphic novels of 2013." — Ich Liebe Comics!, November 10, 2013

"...tells in vivid and harrowing detail the story of children abducted to become soldiers in the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda." — Horn Book Magazine, July/August 2013

"War Brothers is a riveting and compelling account of a young boy from northern Uganda who is abducted into the Lord’s Resistance Army. Sharon McKay and Daniel Lafrance have created a powerful graphic novel that provides a true no-holds-barred account of life as a child soldier. Readers are swept into the world of these child soldiers through intense action and dialogue where they experience their pain and losses, but also their triumphs and their courage. War Brothers presents this gripping tale in an engaging and attractive way for younger readers and fuels the elimination of the weapons system of recruiting children into war." — Melanie Tomsons, Executive Director and CCO of Never Again International: Canada, a not-for-profit organization that works with youth on genocide prevention, the elimination of the proliferation of child soldiers and building human rights through education.


Other Books by Sharon E. McKay

Thunder Over Kandahar
Enemy Territory
Charlie Wilcox

Visit her website for more information:  http://www.sharonmckay.ca/


Book Connections

Out of War:  True Stories from the Front Lines of the Children's Movement for
     Peace in Columbia by Sara Cameron
Children of War:  Voices of Iraqi Refugees by Deborah Ellis
A Long Way Gone:  Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah


Connection Activities

• After reading A Long Way Gone:  Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah, have the students discuss their thoughts and feelings using the reading guide created by BookBrowse (https://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number=1931). 
• As a class, read I Dreamt...:  A Book about Hope by Gabriela Olmos and translated by Elisa Amado.  Discuss the problems facing children today and what can be done to make the world a better place.

I AM THE MESSENGER

Zusak, Markus.  I am the Messenger.  New York:  Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.  ISBN 0-375-93099-X.


Plot Summary

Ed Kennedy leads an uneventful, ordinary life with a less-than-stellar future ahead of him.  His life takes a dramatic change when he stops a bank robber.  After that, Ed starts receiving cryptic messages leading him to people in need.  Because of this, Ed chooses to step out of his mediocre existence to become somewhat of a hero to those whom he helps.


Critical Analysis

The cultural markers for I am the Messenger are quickly made apparent.  Terms such as "mate," "bloke," "shirty," "funked," "bloody" (as in "bloody cry" or "bloody clothesline"), "wanker," "arsehole," and "bore" are used.  There are no definitions given for unfamiliar terms; however, the reader can infer the meaning by using contextual clues.

I am the Messenger is told by the main character, Ed.  There is a balanced selection of narration and dialogue.  Much of the narration is tempered with Ed's dry sense of humor and cynical outlook on life.  The characters are believable.  The story of I am the Messenger revolves around Ed, The Doorman, and Ed's three friends:  Audrey, Marv, and Ritchie.  Also included are Ed's mother, people Ed helps, and a mirage of secondary characters.  Readers can look past the cultural terms and see a group of friends who are able to say a lot with a minimal number of words.  The young people have barely reached adulthood and the author does a credible job of using age-appropriate dialogue.

Zusak keeps the reader interested as, one by one, Ed receives five mysterious messages from an unknown source.  The suspense builds as Ed reluctantly starts his extroverted journey until he embraces his quest with full vigor by story's end.  The conclusion of the story, however, was a bit of a letdown after the tremendous buildup of uncertainty throughout the book.

Although Zusak doesn't give a setting, the reader can imply that it is set in a small city in Australia when Ed pulls out his Gregory's to look up the different streets.  Zusak also gives a clue to the date when Ed sees that Milla has been waiting 60 years for Jimmy, who died in 1942, to return.  The author remains true to his setting.  Readers, regardless of country, can relate to Ed's ongoing dilemma.

The underlying message of I am the Messenger takes the readers on one young man's journey of having feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness to being confident and full of self-esteem.  When the card sender is revealed, he says that Ed is the "epitome of ordinariness."  He goes on to tell Ed, "if a guy like you can stand up and do what you did for all those people, well, maybe everybody can.  Maybe everyone can live beyond what they are capable of."   This is the universal truth to which generations today can relate.  No matter what their background, everyone is capable of accomplishing great things.

Awards and Honors

Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award, 2003
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Ethel Turner Prize for Young
     People's Literature, 2003
Publisher's Weekly Best Books of the Year--Children, 2005
Printz Award Honor Book, 2006
Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book, 2006
Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, 2007


Review Excerpts

"While readers expecting to learn the who and why behind Ed's mysterious, life-changing game of aces may feel shortchanged by an ending that is at once too clever and ultimately confusing, the laid-back, dryly humorous first-person voice is engaging and unsentimental." -- Horn Book Magazine, March/April 2005.

"Zusak's characters, styling, and conversations are believably unpretentious, well conceived, and appropriately raw. Together, these key elements fuse into an enigmatically dark, almost film-noir atmosphere where unknowingly lost Ed Kennedy stumbles onto a mystery-or series of mysteries-that could very well make or break his life." --  Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library, School Library Journal, February 2005

"The metafictional ending may strike some readers as a shortcut, but it's sure to spark discussion, and readers will remember the characters long after they close the book."  -- Publisher's Weekly, January 2005


Other Books by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief
When Dogs Cry/Getting the Girl
Fighting Rueben Wolfe


Book Connections

These books focus on building self-esteem in children:

The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake
I'm Proud to be Me by Yanitzia Canetti
Now I See How Great I Can Be by Linda Sky Grossman


Connection Activities

• After reading The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake, have the students discuss their thoughts and feelings using the guide created by the Anti-Defamation League (http://archive.adl.org/education/curriculum_connections/winter_2005/the_skin.html?cc_section=The_skin) which can be found on the TeachingBooks.net website (http://www.teachingbooks.net/titlesearch.cgi?id=6204&a=1&crc=1).
• "The Game of Compliments: This game of compliments should be played with a group of kids, hence, would be a perfect game to be played at school. Count the total number of children present in the class, give the children that many pieces of paper and ask them to write the name of each child. After this, ask them to write good qualities that they can think about others under those names. Once everyone has finished, the teacher should collect all the papers and read them to the whole class. Children will really enjoy listening to what others have said about them. Learning about the good things that their peers think about them would help in improving their self-esteem."  This activity is taken directly from Buzzle (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/self-esteem-activities-for-kids.html). 

SOLDIER BEAR

Dumon Tak, Bibi.  Illustrated by Philip Hopman.  Translated by Laura Watkinson.  Soldier Bear.  Grand Rapids, Michigan:  Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2011.  ISBN 978-0-8028-5375-2.


Plot Summary

Based on a true story, Soldier Bear follows the adventures of the 2nd Polish Corps during World War II.  When the men encounter an orphan bear cub, they adopt him, and christen him Voytek.  Voytek becomes the regiment's mascot for the next five years, through the end of the war.


Critical Analysis

From the very first page of Soldier Bear, the reader is transported to the world of war and occupation.  A history lesson unfolds as Dumon Tak retells her version of Voytek the bear and his Polish comrades in arms from 1939-1946.  Soldier Bear is a captivatingly sad story of the realities and tragedies of war.  However, Dumon Tak is able to bring smiles to this daunting scene as she recounts the discovery of a small brown bear cub who is clinging to life.  A group from the 2nd Polish Corps adopt the cub and manage to get him enlisted in their regiment.  The men saved the life of the cub and, in return, the cub makes their life in the treacherous war more bearable.

Dumon Tak describes the horrors of war through her characters as Lolek sees two soldiers literally blown to pieces within just a few feet of where he is sitting.  Peter tells of finding a boot with someone's leg still in it.  Pavel adds to the story by saying he saw a dead soldier whose cigarette was still lit.  Dumon Tak does not go into minute detail, but she gives the reader enough information to realize that every day these soldiers were living on the brink of death.  This thought helps the reader to understand why having Voytek, the dogs, the monkeys, the pigs, and the birds was so important.  These men needed something to distract their minds from replaying the carnage they had witnessed on the battlefield.

Cultural markers are intertwined throughout the story as the Polish soldiers endure the hardships of war.  The Russians and the Germans are their enemies and the British and Americans are their allies.  Peter and Stanislav are imprisoned by the Russians and barely escape starvation.  They must flee their homeland, leaving behind family and friends, just to survive.  After joining up with a company of British soldiers, the only thing worse than war is the constant feeling of being homesick.  When the soldiers find the bear cub they agree that they must give him a Polish name so the bear can be one of them.  Voytek, which is Polish for "smiling warrior," becomes officially listed as a private in the 2nd Polish Corps.  The soldiers speak in Polish on occasion but the words are translated into English.  After the war is over, when Voytek is placed in a zoo, he ran to the fence when he heard anyone speaking Polish and begged for a cigarette.

 The illustrations in Soldier Bear add credence to the authenticity of the historical novel.  A map depicting the "peace border" dividing Poland in half, with one side occupied by Germany and the other side occupied by the Soviet Union, serves as a grim visual reminder of the forced evacuation of the Polish people.  A map found later in the book tracks the excruciatingly long journey of the soldiers:  Russia>Iran>Iraq>Syria>Palestine>Alexandria.   Yet another map shows the soldiers seaward journey from Alexandria to the front in Taranto.  Other illustrations in Soldier Bear depict what life in the camp might have looked like with tents, cargo trucks, military vehicles, and personnel in varying uniforms.  Soldier Bear would not be complete without illustrations of the "smiling warrior", Voytek, and his ragtag group of animal friends:  Dottie, Stalin, Kaska, and Kubus.

World War II photographs are included in the back of the book which collaborate the existence of Voytek being involved in the wartime effort.  Voytek is shown with a Polish soldier and later sticking his head out of a military vehicle emblazoned with the logo of him carrying an artillery shell.  Kaska, the monkey, and her baby, Kubus, are pictured sitting on the hood of a military jeep.

Although the youth of today may not have endured war, they have endured tragedies and perhaps separation from loved ones.  The need for comfort and diversion from painful memories is something that can be understood by all generations. 

Awards and Honors

Batchelder Award, 2012
American Library Association Notable Children's Books List, 2012
Paterson Prize for Books for Young People Honor Book, 2012
Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2012
Michigan Reading Association Great Lakes Great Books Award
United States Board on Books for Young People Outstanding International
     Books, 2012


Review Excerpts

"While part of the service, Voytek turns heads, wreaks havoc, boosts morale, and performs his official soldierly duties, including moving live ammunition." -- Thom Barthelmess, Booklist, 10/15/2011.

 

"Kids are sure to fall in love with this bear while being gently introduced to war and being touched by the message of peace." --  Kerry Roeder, Corlears School, New York City, School Library Journal, Nov 2011

"Voytek has his vices, and often enjoys a bottle of beer and a cigarette or two; he eats these, preferably lit. Despite these habits, this is a most unusual and engaging book."  -- Susan A. M. Poulter, Cataloguing Librarian, Nashville (Tennessee) Public Library, Library Media Connection, Jan/Feb 2012

 

Other Books by Bibi Dumon Tak

Mikis and the Donkey
The Cow Book
Latino King


Other Books Illustrated by Philip Hopman

Valentine and His Violin by Philip Hopman
Tom the Tamer by Tjibbe Veldkamp
Earth to Stella by Simon Puttock

Visit his website for more information:  http://www.philiphopman.nl/


Other Books Translated by Laura Watkinson

The War Within These Walls by Aline Sax
Mister Orange by Truus Matti
The Legend of Saint Nicholas by Anselm Greun

Visit her website for more information:  http://www.laurawatkinson.com/


Book Connections

Home Front by Charlie Samuels
Irena's Jars of Secrets by Marcia Vaughan; illustrated by Ron Mazellan
War Dogs by Kathryn Selbert


Connection Activities

• Visit the website http://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/ for an overview of the events of World War II.  Print out the World War II crossword puzzle and/or word search for a fun way to test your knowledge or your student's knowledge of WWII.
• Download the World War II activity pack for primary schools which is located at http://www.secondworldwarni.org/primaryschools/docs/Unit%201%20Activity%20Pack.pdf.  This pack includes a timeline of WWII, a map which can be colored to indicate the Allies, Axis, and Neutral countries, actual wartime photos, a glossary, and much more information.